The tobacco industry was put on high alert last night to mount a legal
challenge to government proposals to enforce non-branded cigarette packs,
after it was reported that legislation would be included in the Queen’s
Speech in May.

Shares in Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco fell yesterday after a
report in a national newspaper quoted an unnamed “senior Whitehall source”
as saying: “We are going to follow what they have done in Australia. The
evidence suggests it is going to deter young smokers. There is going to be
legislation.”